ODVA and FDT publication

07 December 2006

ODVA and the FDT Group have joined forces to publish the Field Device Tool for CIP Networks: Annex to FDT Specification. It provides the schemas required to implement the Device Type Managers (DTM) configuration option for the currently available adaptations of networks built on the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), which include DeviceNet, EtherNet/IP and ControlNet.

In addition to previous configuration options, the latest publication of the CIP Networks Library of specifications now allows for DTM configurations for all CIP Networks.

Flavio Tolfo, managing director of FDT said: ‘The publication of the DTM configuration option for CIP is yet another step in the adoption of the FDT Technology in the world of Discrete Automation.’
Richard Harwell, CTO of ODVA and chair of the CIP Software Tools JSIG, added: ‘The addition of FDT support of CIP Networks will bring important benefits to the CIP user and vendor community. It will enable the development of more powerful and flexible configuration and monitoring tools.’

The next editions of the DeviceNet and EtherNet/IP Specifications that include the DTM configuration option are now available from ODVA. The two organisations are now looking forward to the inclusion of schemas in the Annex for the CompoNet adaptation of CIP.